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  Children's Hospital Research  Children's Hospital Labs
Edward Benz, Jr., MD  Children's logo  Harvard logo
 Edward Benz, Jr., MD
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   Department  Hematology/Oncology
   Hospital Title  President, Dana Farber Cancer Institute
   Academic Title  Richard and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine
   Phone  617-632-4266
   Fax  617-632-2161
   Email  Edward Benz
   Location  44 Binney Street
Boston
MA 02115
Research Overview

The Benz laboratory focuses on the molecular pathology and physiology of red cell development, the molecular basis of inherited hemolytic anemias, and the use of the red cell homeostatic system as a model to study gene regulation and growth control in other tissues.

During the past five years, Benz and colleagues have focused on the structure, function, gene regulation, and molecular pathology of protein 4.1. This cytoskeletal protein, originally described in the red cell, forms a ternary complex with spectrinactin, and attaches the spectrin latticework to membranes by binding to the cytoplasmic domains of key transmembrane proteins. Defects in this protein are associated with hereditary erythrocytosis. The laboratory has shown that many isoforms of protein 4.1 arise from a single protein 4.1R gene by tissue-specific alternative mRNA splicing pathways, a number of which they have characterized. The group has identified at least three target sequence areas and one putative splicing factor involved in tissue-specific regulation of red cell isoforms during erythroid differentiation.

The Benz laboratory continues to focus on the molecular pathology and physiology of red cell development, the molecular basis of inherited hemolytic anemias, and the use of the red cell homeostatic system as a model to study gene regulation and growth control in other tissues.

About Edward Benz

Dr. Benz received his MD from Harvard Medical School. He completed an internship and residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital and a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.

He is president of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, CEO of Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare, Director and Principal Investigator of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, and a member of the Governing Board of Dana-Farber/Children's Cancer Center.

Key Publications
  • Huang SC, Liu ES, Chan SH, Munagala ID, Cho HT, Jagadeeswaran R, Benz EJ Jr. Mitotic regulation of protein 4.1R involves phosphorylation by cdc2 kinase. Mol Biol Cell 2005; 16:117-27.

  • Yang G, Huang SC, Wu JY, Benz EJ Jr. An erythroid differentiation-specific splicing switch in protein 4.1R mediated by the interaction of SF2/ASF with an exonic splicing enhancer. Blood 2005; 105:2146-53.

  • Huang SC, Jagadeeswaran R, Liu ES, Benz EJ Jr. Protein 4.1R, a microtubule-associated protein involved in microtubule aster assembly in mammalian mitotic extract. J Biol Chem 2004; 279:34595-602.

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